Damper parameters and adjustments
This section is intended for breeders who already have some experience. It may happen that by adjusting the flap you will cause difficulties for bumblebees to pass through or, on the contrary, you will invalidate its main protective function.
Therefore, we recommend the adjustments only to those who are familiar with the behavior of bumblebees in individual stages of the colony and are able to detect and resolve any deviations in time.
For regular and slightly advanced breeders, we recommend the safe improvements listed in the section for beginner breeders, as well as a selection of quality flap manufacturers that solve many problems without you.
Please note that from our experience on forums and FB, the most mistakes are made in making flaps yourself. We only modify commercial flaps supplied by one verified manufacturer, with whom we have been cooperating for a long time on their modifications, and for example, in 2023, the manufacturer, together with our recommendation, innovated the angle of the flap edge so that it would open more easily even for smaller species of bumblebees.
Meaning of the flap
Principle of operation
Description of key features of the flap
Essential design parameters
Size and shape of the flap
Body
Passage through the flap
Gutter at the entrance
Door - flap
Correct color design of the door - flap
Stepping edge for bumblebees
Garlic
panels
Back of the flap
Roof Position
of the flap on the hive
Inspection
Summary
Technical design of the damper:
To better understand the following lines, it is better to first describe such a flap:
A valve refers to the entire mechanism, which has integral parts:
- The flap (door) has its own movable part that covers the entrance to the flap passage.
- The body of the flap – it is a wooden beveled square with a passageway bridging the space between the door and the entrance to the hive.
- The body wall – this is the front part of the body of the flap, which the bumblebees use to climb to the opening and where they lift the flap from below. It has a free part and a part covered by the flap.
- Valve hinge – mechanism that ensures valve movement
- Base – the bottom plate to which the damper body is attached, protects the body from moisture
- Česno – the overhanging area of the base where bumblebees land and take off
- Sidewalls – body covers and flaps on the side against wind, parasites and rain
- Back plate – depending on the design, it is the connection point to the hive
- Canopy – protects the valve body and prevents water from flowing under the valve (not shown in the photo)
- Traps – some flaps may include, for example, a side trap for parasites. This is an additional equipment in the phase of our effectiveness testing. (not included in the photo)
In the following text, we will highlight the essential parts of the flap to ensure that it serves you well. We will then provide a detailed description in the professional section.
Size and shape of the flap
There are many products on the market, with different designs, but the damper should respect:
- The body of the damper is sturdy enough to prevent the damper from collapsing and is made of solid wood (preferably hardwood).
- The body covers the entire width of the flap. The size of the flap is key, the length should be around 42-47mm and the height of the flat contact surface (without the edge) 45-50mm.
- The flap can be attached to the hive without interfering with the body (it includes an overhanging back plate).
- The side panels cover the flap from the sides as tightly as possible.
- The flap is at least 15mm high from the garlic, not lower.
- The flap is not perpendicular, but at an angle of 65-70 degrees.
- The leading edge of the body, covered by a blanking plate, has a minimum height of 10 mm.
- The flap contains a notch in front of the leading edge of the body, the depth of the notch for bumblebee take-off is at least 30mm.
- The valve has a cover that prevents water from leaking between the valve and the body
- The inlet hole on the damper has an internal diameter of no more than 16mm.
Damper body
It is a beveled prism in which there is a corridor - a passage through the flap that connects the flap with the entrance to the hive or a connection to the hive corridor. Often only the front and top part of the body is accessible, the other parts (sides, base and back plate) cover, protect and strengthen the body.
- The volume (depth) of the body is not that crucial, but it should be strong enough so that the flap does not collapse over time.
- The body should be made of high-quality solid wood – preferably hardwood (oak, beech).
- The front wall of the body is very important - it is the surface on which the valve rests and is usually the only visible surface. There must be no visible cracks in the wood in the body.
- The front wall must be beveled at an angle of between 65-70 degrees to the base.
- The front wall of the body must be flat, without any irregularities, so that the valve rests on it over its entire surface and does not protrude anywhere (there should be no gap under the valve).
- Inlet and outlet
The size of the flap is important, as it forms the actual barrier. The flap should be 42-47 mm wide and its flat surface length should be between 45-50 mm.
Hanging mechanism:
The type we recommend has a hinge designed using the uhelon53S. This solution was developed by us together with the manufacturer (authors O. Hercog and J. Černý).
- The valve moves more freely.
- With a ring hinge, it sometimes happened that the flap would "bite" in the hinge and the flap would rub when opening or, conversely, would not fully retract. The Uhelon hinge solves this problem.
- The hinge protects the upper part of the flap from the penetration of parasites.
The older model has a hinge with copper eyelets. They must not rub and the flap must lift freely. The rings must therefore be precisely centered. However, when the flap is opened, a gap is created in the upper part, which parasites can use to penetrate.
The solution is to replace the hanging mechanism. If you don't have Uhelon, you can use another fabric. It is important that it is not too thick, can be easily bent, does not fray and can withstand outdoor conditions. Organza, which is more readily available than Uhelon, can also be used for this purpose.
Hinge replacement procedure:
- Using combination pliers, carefully pull the copper rings towards you. They are only charged, not glued or fixed with screws.
- Cut a strip of aluminum foil exactly the width of the flap.
- First, stick the Uhelon strip on the outside of the flap. An overlap of 1 - 1.5 cm from the upper edge of the flap is sufficient. You can use, for example, chemoprene. The hinge must be straight and there must be no ripples. The axis of the Uhelon grid must not be crossed (a consequence of gluing in tension). Secure the entire system by gluing it with white electrical insulating tape so that half of the tape is on the Uhelon and half on the flap.
- Now position the flap so that it is straight and at the correct height. The lower contact area must remain 1cm long.) Shorten the Uhelon so that it is on the roof of the body about 6mm from the back plate.
- Apply a layer of glue to the roof of the body and let it dry. Then attach the flap hinge. Make sure the flap is centered correctly. The hinge must be straight and must not fold. Secure the hinge with insulating tape.§
- Check that the flap is firmly pressed against the body and does not come off. If this is the case, it is necessary to adjust the upper edge where the angle can be brought closer to the body.
- Check that the flap lifts freely and does not rub against the sides.
Valve
weight at least 3g
stickers:
- Flap without sticker – (you can see the entire passage through the flap from the front) then first cover the entrance hole from the outside of the flap with black tape (or paint) so that only the lower part is visible from the inside of the flap (a pea-sized viewing window is sufficient).
After the paint dries, continue as per the point below. - The sticker or color design is sufficient only to the extent of covering the entrance opening. It should be done symmetrically to the center axis.
- ATTENTION : all adjustments are made exclusively on the outer surface of the door (flap). The inner surface of the door must remain smooth without stickers or paint and must fully abut the body.
This section is intended for breeders who already have some experience.